Making together: Collaboration models in media arts practice
The nature of media arts is that there’s not just one medium. It brings together image, sound, space, movement, and interaction—often all at once. These are areas that carry their own technical demands and creative cultures. It’s not always possible to work alone.
In the visual arts, we often imagine the solo artist in their studio, shaping something from their own vision. But that picture is less accurate than the reality. Many well-known artists operate as studios or collectives—yes, the artist’s name is on the work, but the making is shared. Assistants, fabricators, coders, and technicians all contribute.
Media art leans even more into that collective energy. Its complexity almost demands it. One of the things that keeps coming up in the interviews on the Creating New Spaces podcast is that artists don’t just make artworks—they assemble teams and collaborate in many different ways.
This piece of writing focuses on how media artists collaborate to produce their work. Artists also collaborate in other important ways—with scientists, community groups, historians and urban planners. That broader field of collaborative practice is important, but it’s not the focus here.
In the 1990s, I worked closely with poet Diane Caney on web-based net art projects. Right now, I’m working solo—but as I write that, I realise it’s not entirely true. Most of the lead-up to an installation still involves others; family and friends often help during install.
Working solo makes things slower. And there are moments—especially when it comes to sound—where I question whether I’m the right person for the task.
I’ve had work included in sound art festivals. I know my way around editing and assembly. But I don’t play an instrument. I’m not a composer. Sound’s not my superpower.
Why collaboration is essential in media arts
Media art brings together different forms. These overlapping forms come with different tools, different expectations, and different kinds of labour. Programming isn’t sculpture. Sound design isn’t interface design. Lighting a space isn’t editing a timeline.
Media artists don’t just switch hats. They work across specialisations. And while it’s possible to do a lot on your own, doing everything yourself often comes at a cost—to depth, speed, or possibilities.
Collaboration allows projects to go further. To bring in nuance. To try things you wouldn’t otherwise attempt.
It becomes a creative method—not just a logistical solution. Troy Merritt, from the media art collective Soma Lumia, described it this way:
“We feel like collaboration is a part of the Soma Lumia DNA. We think that every project that we work on… it’s not just that the work is greater than the sum of the parts in terms of the collaborators. We strongly believe these are works we create that would never come out the same way if we had different people in the mix.”
Collaboration in practice: insights from interviews
In the interviews so far on the Creating New Spaces podcast, I’ve spoken with artists whose practices involve various forms of collaboration. Some are part of ongoing collectives or small studios. Some bring in coders or sound designers when needed. Some work as equal partners.
Here are three recurring models that surfaced in these conversations.
| Model | Description | Team | Process | Focus | Role clarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo with satellites | An artist leads creatively, bringing in others (e.g. coders, sound designers, fabricators) to contribute specific parts. | Task-based roles assembled per project | Directed and efficient | Delivery and quality | Clear lead artist, defined contributors |
| Project-based partnership | Artists work side-by-side to co-develop a work, while maintaining separate practices. | Temporary partnerships formed per project | Negotiated, collaborative | Shared vision and mutual influence | Roles discussed and agreed; sometimes fluid |
| Creative collective | Collaboration happens within a team or flexible studio with distributed roles and shared approaches. | Ongoing collective or studio team | Structured but flexible | Long-term capacity and development | Often role-based but adaptable |
In creative collectives, collaboration isn’t just about dividing up tasks—it’s about shaping the work together. Decision-making happens in the process. Ideas surface through making, testing, talking, and adjusting. No one person holds all the answers. Instead, direction emerges through shared attention and trust.
As I mapped out these patterns, I started to notice familiar shapes—models that echoed things I’d seen in film, software, or theatre. But the way they show up in media arts is different. Looser. Less defined. More likely to shift mid-project.
| Media art model | Closest parallels | What’s distinct? |
|---|---|---|
| Solo with satellites | Film (departmental model), Music (composer-led), Software (feature teams) | Artists often coordinate roles themselves, without producers or formal structure. |
| Project-based partnership | Theatre (ensemble/devised), Games (collectives) | Partners often have solo practices but come together temporarily. |
| Creative collective | Architecture (studio model), Software (agile teams), Games (studios) | Roles are fluid. Tools are shared across projects. Projects evolve over time. |
Reflections on choosing a model
There’s no single right way to collaborate. Some artists stay solo. Some build long-term teams. Most artists shift between models.
For me, the question is often practical: what do I need for this project to become what it’s trying to be? Sometimes it’s more emotional: am I holding back by trying to do it all myself?
Conclusion: collaboration as a method, not just a means
Collaboration in media arts isn’t a bolt-on. It’s a method—a way of developing meaning, discovering ideas and building complexity.
Each model has its strengths. Each project asks different things of us. But across all of them, the process of making together shapes not just how the work is built, but what the work becomes.
As I keep speaking with artists and reflecting on my own practice, I expect more models to emerge. But for now, these four offer a starting point for thinking about what collaboration in media arts really looks like.